The Great Smoky Mountains are a subrange of the ancient Appalachian Mountains, situated along the border between Tennessee and North Carolina in the southeastern United States. This region is one of my favorite places for spring photography. With many flowering trees, spring is almost as colorful as autumn. With the dramatic change in elevation as you travel through the mountains, spring progresses slowly from the lower valleys and river corridors to the higher peaks, extending photography opportunities for many weeks.
The diversity of plant life and wildflowers is also one of my favorite things about this landscape. From the park’s website: “Variations in elevation, rainfall, temperature, and geology in these ancient mountains provide ideal habitat for over 1,600 species of flowering plants, including 100 native tree species and over 100 native shrub species. The park is a global center for non-flowering plants, including 450 bryophytes-mosses, liverworts, and a few hornworts. Non-flowering species also include some 50 ferns and fern allies and at least one horsetail.”
